Hiking, Nutella, & Margaritas

August 3

Oh my goodness.  That was an early morning.  Jake wakes up at 6am, so we got up at 6am.  Including Tricia.  I know!  There was a point, we were going hiking and the only way I was going in this heat, was to go early.  So we did.  We got up and ate breakfast and left the house and were on the trail by 7:30.  We hiked along a river (I think, but it was very small where we were), up into the woods, along an area where a tornado destroyed part of the forest, and back.  Julie thinks we hiked about 5 miles round trip.  It was a lovely hike (and no where near as hard as I thought it would be the way that Julie & Tricia were talking about hiking).  We saw 5 different kinds of moss, tons of different trees and flowers.  Since we were on the trail by 7:30am it was not as hot as it could have been, and as hot as it was when we finished.  A quick snack in the car and we went back to the house to shower (so beyond desperately needed).

Afterwards, we baked nutella cupcakes from Your Cup of Cake.  They were chocolate cupcakes baked with a nutella dollop in the center.  DELICIOUS! (pictures are later in this entry)  Then we ran errands.  The most important was to make a care package for Sam (Eliza’s husband) in Afghanistan.  We sent him tons of good stuff: a magazine, goldfish, jerky, coffee, and candy – you know all the important things in life.  We should have sent him a coloring book too, but hindsight is 20/20.  Oh well.  No biggie.  Then back to the house to quilt for the rest of the afternoon.

After Jake got home from work, we went out for dinner at Tomato Head.  It is a super cute restaurant that cooks “hippie meets gourmet” food according to Julie.  I had a pizza (the #10) with black beans, caramelized red onions, sautéed tofu, and spinach.  Tricia had a Tuscan chicken sandwich with pesto & sundried tomatoes.  Julie had the special with tofu.  Jake’s disappeared but was delicious.  It was a really good meal.  The portions were the right size (for once on this trip) and the food had really great flavors and combinations.  I liked it.  And it was the first dinner that we didn’t have food comas afterwards.  That sounds like a win to me.  

Then we made margaritas.  And not just any margaritas, but Raspberry Margaritas!  I found the recipe on Confections of a Foodie Bride.  It was easy and quick – but didn’t have enough tequila, so I added a few more ounces.  It was really good – no tequila after taste and felt really good in my head J.  Tricia finished her pillow while we were watching So You Think You Can Dance (my favorite summer show!!).  Her pillow is beyond adorable. Her fabric, is beyond words. 

It might not have been the best idea, but I quilted after that and Julie & Tricia did some more midnight yoga.  

August 4

We slept in until 9ish.  Unfortunately, Tricia had to leave and drive back to Little Rock and then Austin.  So she used the morning to get ready to go.  The ladies did yoga again.  Lunch in the house (no Jake), and then Tricia left us.  It was really awful – the abandonment that Julie & I felt.  J/K.  We survived, but we were sad.  We had errands to run again, returns & baby clothing purchases to make.  Then it was full steam ahead on my quilt, which had gotten much bigger and much more intense.  When Jake got home, he suggested sushi for dinner, and when have I ever said no to sushi.  We had 5 rolls between us, 4 interesting ones and a sweet potato.  They were so good!  The Out-of -Control & Spider Web rolls were my favorite.  This is the only meal I didn’t take a picture of and it is only a crime because the presentation was wonderful: the colors were bright and nicely arranged on the plate. 

 

When we got back, we …… OH WAIT!!  This is important!  I cannot believe I didn’t already include this!  FOR SHAME!  We drove to the sushi place in Jake’s truck – and I know, big deal, he has been driving you around in the truck every time we went out to eat, but WAIT, this was not the truck he won in an online competition, but the 1969 Chevy truck that he restored with his father when he was in high school that is so GORGEOUS it hurts your eyes to look at it.  Well not technically painful.  But it is an awesome truck.  I have a picture of Julie & Jake in the cab together, well 2 actually, but neither turned out like I wanted them to, so maybe with some fiddling I can make them work... later.

 

So, when we got back to the house we were in the basement (where they are planning on doing a ton of work ad building a rec. room, bedroom, bathroom, and closing in the laundry room.  Julie showed me how they were thinking about laying out the rec. room, and I might have butted in and told her that it was not the best plan, but that if they moved the TV it would work perfectly and give them more space.  They liked it!  WIN!  Another example of watching too much HGTV, but what I can do about it?  We had cupcakes & another margarita while we watched the results show of So You Think You Can Dance.  I called the girl elimination but was shocked by the boy elimination.  Then we quilted until 1am (which was an accident). 

PS – Tricia, I did NOT like sleeping without you last night.

August 5

Today is a big day!  The trip is on the move again!  Today, Julie & I are flying to Colorado Springs to visit Eliza, the General, & the Admiral (her babies!)  I woke up early (might be because I set my alarm and got out of bed an hour later) and started finishing my quilt.  I guess I should explain better.  I have been working on the patchwork up until this point.  I was working on a log cabin quilt, which uses strips that are patch-worked together to make a square.  Thus far every time I have said that I was quilting, I have been patch-working all the pieces together.  This morning I actually STARTED QUILTING.  First we laid out the muslin and batting.  Then we safety pined all the layers together so that when I went back and started quilting, the layers would both stay together and stay flat.  Then I quilted until lunch, when I realized I forgot about breakfast.  Quick lunch with Jake & Julie and then back to finish quilting.  We only had until 3 to work on it today and then I would have been screwed if we didn’t finish because there is no way a sewing machine would fit in my suitcase.  But, we finished!  I finished quilting and then Julie added the first half of the binding.  Then it was time to leave!  Which brings me to right now, sitting in the airport listening to the man next to me speaking Italian!